The Sealed City: Imperial Mission

[lilbooth]

Keira nodded in acknowledgment to Ertha's suggestion, and made a quick gruff noise. She didn't back down or lose her focus though. Only if Ertha managed to land the shot did she have a chance of escaping. But where were they supposed to escape to? These where the guards of the city that were confronting them. It's not like they could hide within the city. She hoped that Ertha's shot rang true but Keira figured she'd hedge her bets and get an attack in while she had a chance.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

So just going to go for a basic attack with the axe, but can Keira even still escape? It costs half her stamina but is that half total or half current? Cuz I may not be able to escape. Regardless it would be happening until next turn anyways.

[Firehead]

In her panic, Alane paid little attention to where she was going. Her only concern in leaving whatever Luka had become behind her. Then she spots the open door. Eyeing the chance of freedom, she makes a mad dash for the exit.

Exiting onto the street, Alane stopped a moment to catch her breath taking a brief look about the street. She shivered as she recognized the street seeing how deserted the normally busy streets were at the moment. Where was everyone? Hearing the sounds of battle, she turned realizing she'd left Keira behind. She considered going back, but she was in no condition to be getting into a fight right now. Then she saw the light in the chapel. Someone had to be in. Perhaps they could provide help. Turning back in the direction she spoke softly. "Hold on, I'll get help." Then dashed to the chapel.

[Mark3000]

Keira & Ertha

Combat Roll

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Ertha
Targeted Attack:Leg (Feat of Skill vs Speed)
Ertha: 18 + 2(1d20) = 20
Luka: 10 + 14(1d20) =24
Normal attack
Accuracy: 13 + 18 -10 = 21, Hit!
Critical Chance (5%, 1d100, <5 to succeed): 41. No critical
Damage: 2 + 18 -15 + Warcry Bonus = 6 Damage

Keira (Yes Keira can still escape, it's half your max Stamina)
Axe Attack:Luka
Accuracy: 16 + 14 - 10 = 20, Hit!
Critical Chance (5%, 1d100, <5 to succeed): 64. No critical
Damage: 4(2d4) + 16 - 15 + Warcry Bonus = 6 Damage

Luka is Defeated

Escape Roll (Group, Feat of Speed)
Keira + Ertha: 11 +18 + 2(Keira's Teamwork) + 16 = 47
Gustav: 9 + 11 = 20

Ertha aims the bolt just a little high as it sinks into Luka's side. He howls in pain as it's limbs flail. This gives Keira the chance to sink his axe into the monsters back. She manages to hit the same spot hit by Alane's fireball. The spot soon explodes with blood as the body drops to the ground. But the two of you don't get the chance to enjoy your victory. Instead, you both make your escape back into the fort chasing after Alane. On the way in, on a whim each of them grab one of Robert's Pistols.

(All players gain 1 Soul Essence for defeating Luka, raise any stat by 1)

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Robert

Combat Rolls

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Robert:
Sabre Attack: Brute
Accuracy: 16 + 22 - 5 = 33, Hit!
Damage: 4(1d8) + 10 -12 = 2 Damage.

Brute:
Grappling (Feat of Skill vs Speed)
Brute: 14 + 3 = 17
Robert: 15 + 15 = 30

Robert stands her ground managing to keep the guard and brute at bay. Just as she's thinking about the Thief, Robert sees Ertha and Keira run by with her pistols. The three of them lock eyes for a moment.

______________________________________________

Alane

Alane makes a bee line for the chapel and begins to knock on the door. You hear a few footsteps and whispers until the door opened revealing a man in priest robes with short brown hair. He had a nervous look in his eyes as he scanned the road. "My c-child, what are you doing out here in the street? It's dangerous. Come inside" He said offering you a chance to come inside.

[lilbooth]

Out of the pan and into the fire She thought to herself as she locked eyes with Robert. With shield held high, she quickly placed herself between Robert and his two enemies. She had Robert's pistol tucked into her rear waistband. With her axe still in hand, she took a heavy swing at the brute.

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

not sure if I have to make a feat of speed to get into position or not but whatever is needed to get between Robert and the enemies that is what I will do. And then make a normal axe attack

[Firehead]

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I'll go ahead and invest that point into speed.

Alane dashed over to the chapel in a rush unaware that they had finished with Luka. When she stepped up to the door, she frantically rapped on the wood desperate to get someone's attention. When a man stepped through, she recognized his robes as those of a priest and felt certain she would get the help she needed. "No, please father, a friend of mine needs help. O-one of the guards attacked us, and wh-when we defended ourselves. H-he..the n-needle, he turned himself into a monster. I have to go back, I can't just leave her."

[mrblah]

Ah, they killed him. She was surprised that the monster had exploded, but there was no point in taking out the other guy. She was fairly tired and no doubt Keira was, as well. The plan continued without a hitch and she barely remembered to take one of the pistols as her and the female knight chased after the civilian. Hopefully the girl didn't get herself killed in some stupid way.

She was surprised when they found the lieutenant back in the place she had left holding the brute and the other man back. The lieutenant definitely had the chance to close the door and escape, why hadn't he? ... Well, it didn't matter now. As the knight took her position between the lieutenant and the would-be rapist bastards, Ertha tossed the man's pistol over to him. "Heads up!" Was the warning she gave. She pulled out her bow and aimed past both of her teammates, arrow pointing at the brute. "I think now's a good time to negotiate their unconditional surrender." Because Ertha will most certainly not let them live, but they probably had good information about the situation.

[exalted]

(sorry for the delay in posting, life got messy)

"You don't negotiate an unconditional surrender," Robert tried to maintain her composure as the Princess and the Thief appeared, neatly catching the tossed pistol and discharging it into the Brutes gut, "You demand it!"

Stuffing the spent pistol under her belt, she snatched the other from Keira's waistband, accidentally shifting the material down to reveal her ass crack, and aimed the pistol at the other guards knee.

"I think we are due an explanation?" she growled at the other guard, cocking the hammer.

[Mark3000]

Robert, Ertha, Keira

Intimidation Roll: Group (Feat of Strength)
Robert & Ertha: 6 + 10 + 20(1d20) = 36
Brute & Guard: 15 + 16 + 2(1d20) = 33

The threat of having his knee caps blown out gives the Brute and Guard pause. "Ok ok" The guard says as he raises his hands in surrender. "Look, what do you wanna know?" the guard asked as his eyes darted between the three of you.

Perception Roll (Feat of Skill, Level 4):
Ertha: 19 + 3(Perceptive) + 5(1d20) = 27
Robert: 22 + 3(Perceptive) + 14(1d20) = 39
Keira: 15 + 3(1d20) = 18

Robert catches the guard glancing down the hallway that Ertha and Keira came from, as if looking for someone to come.

________________________________

Alane

The mention of the needle and monster causes the priest's eyes to widen. "My child. You can't go back like this. You look like you are on the verge of collapses. I'm sure your comrades will able to survive a little longer without you. I doubt I'll have mush sway over the guards" He pauses to open the doors to the chapel even further. "Please come in, we will tend to your wounds and send someone to deal with the situation at the gate."

Sense Motive (Feat of Insight)
Priest: 18 + 17 = 35
Alane: 22 + 7 - 6 (Naive + Needy) = 25

The Priest seems to be sincere about what he's saying. Plus Alane didn't have any other options ... Right?

[lilbooth]

Robert would get a view of a bit more than he bargained for as he pulled his pistol free. It seemed the Princess had chosen to forgo undergarments for this mission. She never cared them honestly. Thought they were ugly, at least in comparison to the clothes she commonly wore. With Keira's ass nearly on full display, Robbert caught a glimpse a polished amethyst jewl proruding slighty from between her cheeks. With her hands full and two targets still infront of her, Keira couldnt do much about the revealing situation.

"Alane took off into the city, she's hurt pretty bad. I killed that bastard Lika though. There's another out there called Gustav though, he's fond of fire." Said Keira threw a pair of gritted teeth, keeping her spear pointed at the guard and brute.

[Firehead]

Alane looked forelornly back to the way she'd came. The priest had a point, she was in no condition to be getting in fights with monsters like that and as long as they got help it would be fine. "Alright, but you need to send help first. I can't just sit here getting my wounds treated while they fight whatever that guard had become." She didn't really have any good options, but she was sure she was safe now, and she couldn't leave it like that until she could be sure help was at the very least on the way to the rest of the team. She was sure of that, and it showed on her determined expression. She even took a single step backward as if implicetly threatening to run to her friends should the priest refuse.

[exalted]

Robert motioned for the Thief for the cover the way they had just come, catching the brutes gaze and having had quite enough surprises for one day.

She was irked slightly that they had surrendered so quickly before they could dispatch one of them, giving them two prisoners to deal with.

"We'll have to find the Alane later," she growled, keeping an eye and pistol trained on both men, "We're not running blindly into another ambush with our pants down. So which one of you gents is going to explain exactly what is going on?"

[mrblah]

Ertha lowered her bow, turning her head to the hallway behind them. She supposed the possibility of reinforcements was certainly there. She positioned herself in a casual sort, leaning against the wall to keep both the proceedings with the scum she absolutely planned on killing later and the hall their support could possibly go through, her bow still in one hand and an arrow in the other. Tension was still high within her, so she was hoping whoever showed up was really an enemy. She might just shoot on principle.

It was unfortunate about the civilian. Ertha had a bad feeling the girl was going to get herself in trouble without the group around, so she was hoping to get the situation resolved quickly. She already went through the trouble of delaying her escape for the civilian and the knight, so if either of them died now, she'd have wasted her time... and would feel bad for letting someone innocent get killed.

[Mark3000]

Robert, Ertha, Keira

"Wait they took out Luka." The guard spouted with a surprised expression. With few other options, the guard finally speaks up.

"Look we were told just to let tributes in and keep everyone else out. But there are ... groups in the city have a real need for woman. Ever since they discovered those runes underneath Schwarzberg, the whole city has changed. People making deals with monsters right out of fairy tales. Shady rituals and sudden disappearances" He said turning to Ertha and Keira.

"You saw what Luka turned in. Well the city houses much worse. "

Perception Roll (Feat of Skill vs Speed)
Ertha: 19 + 3 (Perceptive) + 16 = 38
???: 8 + 5 = 13

As Ertha watches the hall she and Keira came from, she can hear the footsteps of someone approaching along with the tapping of a staff. It was most likely the mage from before, Gustuv. Though you still had a few minutes until he arrived.

_____________________________________________

Alane

"Right away" The priest says as he calls for another man in heavy robe. "Orland, please go to the city gates and help out the young lady's friends" He asks as Orland gives him a nod.

As the second man leaves, the priest turns to Alane. "Now miss, please come in so we can help you" he says offering you his hand "My name is Markus, may I have yours?"

[exalted]

Rebecca mulled over the information given by the two, on any other day she would have thought the two to be lying.

Gnawing on her lip, she decided what to do with the two men, bringing them along was too risky and was out of the question, but she couldn't just kill the two prisoners...

"Alright then, strip, both of you, as bare as the day god made you," she barked, taking Ertha's shackles from her belt, "And then hug, chest to chest."

Waving the pistols as she ordered, she handed the shackles to Keira to lock one of the men's hand behinds the other backs, tearing strips off the men clothing to bind the other man's hands likewise behind the first.

[lilbooth]

With the situation de-escalating slightly, Kiera left her combat stance and quickly pulled her pants back up to her waist. She took the shackles from Robert and did as she was told, awaiting further orders once the prisoners where bound.

[mrblah]

Noticing the guard's gaze on her and hearing what the man said, Ertha bared her fangs in a threatening manner. "So, what, you just abduct innocent women for these new despicable cults to do God knows what to them, and you don't even think to question this or do something about what is so very clearly wrong? Where the hell's your goddamn sense of justice..." Ertha spoke in a disgusted tone, looking away after she said her piece.

With her focus back on watching the hall, Ertha was quick to hear the sound of footsteps accompanied with the sound of hard wood tapping against stone. The sound was a bit faint, signifying that the source wasn't too close to their position yet, and she could hazard a guess that it's the supposed support of the guards. That mage, Gustav, had a staff, and to her knowledge he's the closest enemy near their location. It's safe to guess that he chased after her and the knight when they made their escape. He'll soon regret that, if she has her way.

She moved her bow up, notching an arrow back and aiming where the noise was coming from, intending to immediately fire at whoever appears. "Someone's coming. They've got a staff. Think it's that mage from before, the one with Luka." She kept her voice low as she relayed the info to her teammates, mostly out of caution. "I'm gonna shoot them." Better safe than sorry. They can just patch up the wound and feel bad after they confirm the newcomer isn't a threat.

[Firehead]

Alane nodded to the new robbed man, Orland, as he passed. "Thank you, we were separated before I fled, so I don't know if they're together or not." Now sure that her friends were taken care of, Alane stepped into the chapel as the priest invited her in. "Oh yes, forgive me, Father Marcus. My name is Alane." She looked about the temple as she entered hoping to find it still familiar after the emptiness of the streets.

[Mark3000]

Robert, Ertha, Keira

It doesn't take long for the two men to strip under the threat of Robert's pistol. Nude and shackled together, the brute and the guard both give your group a dirty look. Though they can't do much about it.

"You speak of justice" The guard hissed out to Ertha. "In the face of unfathomable monsters, justice means jack all! These things don't just kill you. They eat away at your mind until their's nothing left." He says as panic filled his voice. The guard struggled but was still safely chained. Though she doesn't have time to answer before Gustav the mage turns the corner.

Ertha
Longbow Attack
Accuracy: 14 + 19 - 8 = 25, Hit!
Damage: 7(1d8) + 19 - 10 = 16

Without a second thought, the arrow skewers the old mage. He falls to the ground in a wild yell as he rolls around on the ground. With that, the last of the guards are taken care of.

_____________________________________________________

Alane

Alane enters the church to find a familiar sight. Candles lined the wall under stain glass windows. The wooded pews looked old but gave the chapel a rustic feel. In the chapel you could see one or two other people praying while a young man in a bowl cut looked to be repairing the chapel's organ.

Father Marcus lead you to a pew at the front of the church. "I just need to attend to something downstairs. I'll return with food and medicine shortly Alane." He says as the priest moves to a small door to the side of the main podium. Though he doesn't fully close it.

Alane than began to hear whispers coming from the basement. No-one else seemed bothered by them but the priest had been gone for a while. The door to the basement was still open so it wouldn't be hard to check one him.

[Firehead]

Looking around, Alane was glad to see some semblance of normalcy around the chapel. A few people praying silently. There was a young man who seemed to be repairing the organ which was probably busy work, so when Father Marcus told her he had to take care of something downstairs, she found herself with nothing to do but wait patiently.

It wasn't long after he left that she began to hear a strange whispering sound. Looking this way and that, she realized it wasn't coming from anyone in here. In fact, they all seemed to not even notice it. Were they just ignoring it, or could they not hear it?

Noticing they were coming from the door the priest had left through which remained ajar, she couldn't help but feel curious. Looking around a moment to see that she wasn't being watched, she slowly crept over to the door pulling it open a little further to get a view of what lay beyond.

[Mark3000]

Alane

Pulling the door back she see a stairway that goes down quite a ways. Alane has to go down a flight before she can see what's going on in the basement. When she finally reach there, she see Father Marcus talking with a few other robed men in front of a stone altar. There was a pentagram drawn into the ground with various bowls to the side. But what was most surprising was that someone was laying on the Altar. It doesn't take her long to realize it was the woman from before, Elma laying their.

"Who was that at the door?" One of the robed men asked.

"Just a lost girl. She shouldn't be any trouble. She was rather beat-up and frightened out of her mind." Father Marcus replied as he took his position in the group. "Let us continue with the ritual. We should be able to summon the Scion now." He says as the group raise their hands and begins to chant.

Stealth Roll (Feat of Skill, Level 3, >25 to succeed)
Alane: 12 -2 (Needy) + 2(1d20) = 12

Without thinking, Alane steps onto another step. The stairs then let out a loud creaking sound that draws the attention of Father Markus and the other robed men. In an instance, Alane and Markus lock eyes. A surprised expression crosses the priest's face.